Polyurethane resin system features a Tg of 200°C & higher

6th March 2015

Siobhan O'Gorman

0 0

A polyurethane resin system, which cures quickly and allows the production of high heat stable modelling, tooling and rapid prototyping boards, has been introduced by Huntsman. The VITROX EST system is suitable for the aerospace, automotive, marine and shipbuilding sectors.

With a Tg of 200°C and higher, the system offers product designers, tooling manufacturers and mold-makers a viable polyurethane alternative to other thermoset-based tooling products, with a number of additional advantages.

The fast cure features of Huntsman’s VITROX EST system make it possible to significantly reduce demolding and manufacturing cycle times. This can help manufacturers increase productivity, reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions. The system can also be precisely formulated to suit specific requirements, offering added flexibility and broadening scope for innovation.

The VITROX EST system’s high Tg properties mean that a constant coefficient of thermal expansion from room temperature to 200°C is achievable. This enables the creation of products and tooling boards with improved long-term stability when exposed to high temperatures. Products and tooling boards made with Huntman’s system also demonstrate better impact resistance and a good machinability.

Processing benefits include a long, tunable pot life (5-20 minutes) and a low viscosity. Furthermore, the system is processable on low pressure casting machines.

Wim Gilis, Technical Manager, Huntsman Polyurethanes, said: “Until now, polyurethanes couldn’t match the high-temperature performance offered by other thermosets, but the development of our VITROX EST system offers forward-looking tooling manufacturers an attractive alternative with all the benefits of polyurethanes chemistry. We constantly strive to develop advanced tooling technologies with additional properties and features to help our customers innovate, boost productivity, reduce costs and gain competitive advantage. The VITROX EST system is an exciting breakthrough, one we believe will take tooling technology into a new dimension.”

Interested parties can find out more about Huntsman’s VITROX EST system during UTECH Europe 2015, which takes place from 14^th to 16^th April in Maastricht, The Netherlands. During the UTECH Europe conference, Wim Gilis will give a presentation on the system entitled: ‘High temperature stable VITROX EST resin system for advanced tooling boards’. The presentation will be delivered during the innovation session in the Florin Room at 2.30pm on Tuesday 14^th April.